Thesis (PhD)--Universiteit van Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Key words: Organisational knowledge, pluralistic epistemology, action learning, systems theory,
structuration theory, organisational learning, knowledge management.
In today's competitive environment the value and importance of knowledge as an organisational
resource is considered to be a key element and source of power. Knowledge is regarded as the single
most important source of core competence to ensure competitiveness and long term sustainability.
The value of most products and services now depends on knowledge-based intangibles and many
organisational theorists argue that strategy formulations should be built on a resource-based theory.
The challenge for many organisations is therefore how to enable organisational knowledge and how to
increase their organisational learning capacity and performance.
Following a multi-disciplinary approach, this study critically evaluates and interprets existing theories
on action and systems thinking. The traditional positivist paradigm no longer answers to the needs of a
post-modem paradigm and corporate epistemologists and practitioners alike are in search of a new
paradigm on how to construct organisational knowledge. Drawing on Habermasian theory of
communicative action, as well as Parsons' general theory of action and Giddens' structuration theory, I
argue that the construction of knowledge happens in a pluralistic manner, in contrast with traditional
approaches which support a paradigm informed by a singular epistemology. A pluralistic approach to
the development of knowledge, in relation to a Habermasian theory of communicative action which
emphasises the importance of communication and which integrates action and systems theory, is
therefore proposed. Constitutive features of organisational knowledge, such as deliberation, knowledge
leadership, organisational culture and technology, are identified and analysed.
Action learning has been adopted by a number of leading international comparues as a learning
methodology. However, action learning has seemingly not been grounded in a defensible
epistemological framework. In redescribing action learning, this study explores epistemological
foundations of action learning in an attempt to provide corporate epistemologists with a defensible
epistemological framework which promotes pluralism and constitutive features of organisational
knowledge.
A framework for organisational learning and knowledge construction, the Pluralistic Action Learning
Systems theory (pALS), is suggested as an improved model of organisational learning suitable for
implementation in a post-modem era. This framework incorporates the primary "technical" elements
of the learning process, namely problem identification, collection of information, analysis and
interpretation, application/use and reflection, as well as organisational enablers inherent in collaborative learning. Organisational knowledge is therefore seen as the outcome of a learning process
which occurs at the individual, social and organisational system levels. Organisational knowledge is also
constituted by features such as communication, knowledge leadership and trust which are essential in a
collaborative learning environment. Knowledge is therefore not constructed through a single paradigm,
but socially constructed through a pluralistic epistemology. Organisational knowledge is the outcome
of organisational learning and such an organisational learning process is enabled by an action learning
approach.
An empirical study is conducted which is based on a forty-point questionnaire. The sample size is 120
part-time MBA students who are enrolled for an action learning management development programme
and who have all been theoretically and practically exposed to an action learning programme. The
findings of the empirical study conclude that the construction of knowledge happens in a pluralistic
manner and that an organisational epistemology should be shaped by a pluralistic framework if it were
to be successful in a post-modem business environment. It proposes that action learning, which is
shaped by a pluralistic epistemology grounded in the Habermasian theory of communicative action,
provides a defensible framework to enhance organisational knowledge through a collaborative learning
approach fostering values such as deliberation, trust and openness. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sleutel woorde: Organisasiekennis, pluralistiese epistemologie, aksieleer, stelseldenke, strukturasie
teorie, organisasieleer, kennisbestuur.
Die waarde en belangrikheid van kennis in vandag se vinnige veranderende wêreld word beskou as van
kritiese waarde en as die enkele mees belangrike element van kompetisie om lang termyn
volhoubaarheid te bewerkstellig. In die hedendaagse korporatiewe omgewing word die waarde van die
meeste produkte en dienste gebaseer op ontasbare elemente soos onder andere kennis. Korporatiewe
strategeë argumenteer derhalwe dat korporatiewe strategie gevolglik op 'n vermoëns-strategie gebaseer
moet word. Vir baie maatskappye is die uitdaging dus hoe kennis konstrueer moet word en hoe
maatskappye hulle vermoëns moet verbeter om kennisorganisasies te word.
Hierdie studie volg 'n multi-disiplinêre benadering wat bestaande aksie- en stelseldenke teorieë krities
evalueer en interpreteer. Die tradisionele positivistiese raamwerk beantwoord nie aan die vereistes van
'n post-moderne paradigma nie en beide korporatiewe epistemoloeë en praktisyns is op soek na nuwe
wyses hoe om organisasiekennis te konstrueer. Deur gebruik te maak van Parsons se algemene aksie
teorie, en in besonder Habermas se teorie van kommunikatiewe aksie en Giddens se strukturasieteorie,
argumenteer ek dat die konstruksie van kennis op 'n veeldoelige wyse plaasvind, in teenstelling met die
tradisionele benadering wat 'n raamwerk aanbeveel wat op 'n enkelvoudige teorie van kennis gebaseer
is. 'n Pluralistiese benadering met betrekking tot die ontwikkeling van kennis, in ooreenstemming met
Habermas se teorie van kommunikatiewe aksie en gesteun deur aksie- en stelsels teorie, word derhalwe
aanbeveel. Kenmerkende eienskappe van organisasie kennis soos, uitgebreide dialoog, kennisleierskap,
organisasiekultuur en tegnologie word ook geidentifiseer en ontleed.
Aksieleer is deur verskeie toonaangewende internasionale maatskappye aanvaar as 'n leer metodologie.
Dit wil egter voorkom asof aksieleer nie in 'n epistemologiese raamwerk gegrond is nie. Deur aksieleer
te herbeskryf ondersoek hierdie studie epistemologiese gronde van aksieleer in 'n poging om
korporatiewe epistemoloeë met 'n verdigbare teoretiese kennisraamwerk toe te rus.
'n Raamwerk vir organisasie leer en die konstruksie van kennis, die Pluralistiese Aksieleer Stelsels
(pALS) raamwerk, word derhalwe aanbeveel as 'n verdedigbare model wat aan die eise van 'n postmoderne
samelewing beantwoord. Hierdie raamwerk sluit die primêre tegniese elemente van die
leerproses in, te wete: probleem identifisering, die inwin van informasie, analisering en interpretasie van
informasie, aanwending en gebruik van informasie en refleksie. Hierdie proses word verder ondersteun
deur aspekte wat organisasieleer vergemaklik binne spanverband. Organisasieleer word dus beskou as die uitkoms van 'n leerproses wat bogenoemde elemente bevat en wat gebaseer is op 'n leeromgewing
wat samewerking bevorder. Organisasiekennis word derhalwe gesien as die uitkoms van 'n leerproses
wat op die individuele, sosiale en organisasie vlakke geskied. So 'n leerproses word bevorder en
vergemaklik deur 'n aksieleer proses. Organisiekennis word ook gekenmerk deur eienskappe soos
kommunikasie en kennisleierskap wat binne 'n saamwerk leeromgewing as noodsaaklik geag word.
Kennis word dus nie deur 'n enkelvoudige raamwerk konstrueer nie, maar word ondersteun deur 'n
veelvoudige epistemologie.
Die empiriese studie is gebaseer op 'n veertigpunt vraelys. Die ondersoekgroep is 120 :MBA studente
wat vir 'n aksieleer bestuursontwikkelingsprogam ingeskryf is en wat beide teoreties en prakties aan
aksieleer blootgestel is. Die bevindings van die studie dui daarop dat kennis nie op 'n enkelvoudige
wyse geskep word nie, maar wel deur van verskeie teorieë van kennis gebruik te maak. Die bevindings
van die studie beveel aan dat aksieleer, as 'n pluralistiese teorie van kennis gegrond in die denke van
Habermas, 'n verdedigbare raamwerk verskaf wat organisasieleer en die konstruksie van kennis
bevorder deur 'n leeromgewing waarin waardes soos vertroue, openlikheid en kommunikasie bevorder
word.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49945 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Van Niekerk, Herman J. |
| Contributors | Waghid, Y., Leibold, M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiii, 195 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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